Of Prophecy, Fate and Hope
by yuzuhira
Summary: When Fate seemingly denies Severus Snape the peace which he had hoped for, all seems lost to him. What if there was a prophecy telling Severus Snape that with a little leap of faith he could have more than he has ever hoped he would have? What will it take for him to believe in something and leap into the arms of fate?
1. Prologue

_Yuzu: Hiya everyone! Here is my first attempt at an english fanfic, I hope you all like it! I have a few things to say in the disclaimer, but I'll start with reassuring my readers from LIBERTE: I am not dropping the story, I keep thinking about it and writing it, it's just that this plot just happened on me while I was reading a fanfic, and I just had to write it. Plus, I really **really** wanted to try writing in english, and translating LIBERTE with already twenty or so chapters written was out. ^^'_

_So, now onto the..._

_Disclaimer:__Ha! Got you, you thought I was going to let you read, but my monologue is not finished. You see, there are a few things that I do not own in this fic, and I need to acknowledge that._

_ First, I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, people would know... And the world would probably be slightly more logical... But that's just me ^^'. The Harry Potter universe is the property of JK Rowling, I am just borrowing it and playing with it._

_Second, the idea for this fanfic came when I read One Red Shoe's fanfic_ Her Sable Eyes_. She introduced the prophecy, and I really fell in love with the concept, so I asked her permission to use it in a story of my own. Not only did she agree, but she is also beta-ing for me... But it is more of anglo-english translating that she's doing. So, if the english is that good in the story, it is mostly thanks to her!__  
_

_ So, to put it in a nutshell, Harry Potter is JK Rowling's, the prophecy is One Red Shoe's, the rest is mine!_

_Now, I'll let you enjoy this prologue:_

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_**PROLOGUE – The prophecy that started it all**_

The phoenix flew around, high above the arches in the room containing the veil. The golden bird was also well above the ill-aimed—and somewhat desperate—curses being thrown between combatants. His Order was slightly outnumbered, and oblivious to many of the things going on outside their immediate sphere of battle. This meant that no one noticed that the wizard they all doubted, but needed to have faith in, their spy, was faking, missing his targets and hitting his so called allies.

Fawkes sighed, but then spotted one rogue Death Eater chasing one of the young DA members. The silver-haired young girl was running blindly, desperately trying to avoid her pursuer. Without further thought, the magical bird plunged towards them and caught the Death Eater's hood with his claws, pushing his talons deep into the scalp of the man as he did so.

Still in his pursuit pace, the man stumbled in the Room Of Prophecies, screaming at the top of his lungs as he tried to push the phoenix off. The bird let go just in time to dodge a Sectumsempra sent his way, and his magic retaliated, letting one of his feathers fall on the Death Eater, setting him on fire.

The man fell on one of the shelves and the prophecies it contained started tumbling to the ground. The phoenix ignored the crashing of glass, but as he was turning back towards the battle, a whisper amongst all the breaking spheres caught his attention. He felt drawn to the voice of one of the falling prophecies, and he landed, stopping to listen carefully to this voice seemingly calling to him:

_**When you are at your lowest ebb, and hope seems lost. An old man's promise will be fulfilled even though he failed before. Though at first you must turn away from your sable-eyed angel and look into the light for healing. Only then will your heart's desire be gained.**_

As the voice ceased and the sphere crashed among its brethren, Fawkes took to the skies again, flying over the battle, hovering above the spy. The phoenix felt suddenly, oddly attracted to the man's actions. Because of this, the bird noticed the man turn around at the sound of the crazed laughter of Bellatrix Lestrange.

Sensing that the wizard was about to blow his cover uselessly, the phoenix dove down and unbalanced him deliberately, swiping the tip of his wing across the wizard's masked face. The spell that he had been casting veered off course and bounced uselessly off the wall a mere foot from the woman who still cast her own curse at the dog-man.

The phoenix felt like screeching in mourning as well when he realized what curse she had cast. There was not enough time for him to intervene and shield the dog-man, and now he had to look on in shock with the boy and the wolf as the dog-man fell backwards into the veil. He mourned their loss as well, especially because he knew he was the cause of it.

The bird was about to fly to the mourning pair, wanting to try and appease their grief, but the boy suddenly pulled free of the wolf's grip and ran after the woman. The phoenix knew it was time to call for his master; the old man could not delay any longer, as the wolf had been drawn back into battle and none of the other Order members had noticed the boy slipping away.

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_Yuzu: So, here it is! Let me know what you've thought of it, and review if you want this story to continue!_

_See you!_


	2. Chapter 1

_Yuzu: Hello everyone! I hope your Christmas and New Year holidays went well! As a belated gift to you, I post the first chapter to this story, hoping it will appease you! I wish to thank all the people who entered this fic into their Favorite and Alerts, it means a lot to me!  
_

_Next, I would like to apologize in advance for the delays I may encounter for the rest of the fic. I only have three more chapters written, and some are still waiting for my great beta's approval. Plus, I am more and more overloaded with school and my research for an internship, so I have not yet found a single moment to write. But I assure you that my fic is at all times in a small corner of my head, and even if I don't write, I am still thinking about everything!_

_So please, be patient, and enjoy this chapter, superbly revised by One Red Shoe:_

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_**CHAPTER 1 – A phoenix cries**_

The phoenix still resided on his perch in his master's office. Well, it hadn't been his master's office for a year now, but the spy had kept the perch, even though he never saw the flaming bird.

Knowing it would not sit well in the eyes of the man's fellow Death Eaters to keep him company, Fawkes had kept hidden from the spy he had watched over ever since that battle at the ministry.

The fiery bird was keeping his eyes closed at the moment, focused on the images the feather he'd laid on the spy's robes was bringing him.

When the man had been called to the side of his dark master, Fawkes had sensed something sinister was about to happen, and had discreetly flown over the man to deposit his feather on his robes. The phoenix was unable to _be_ in the presence of such raw evil as was the snake-like wizard without the risk of his magic being detected.

The spy was currently in a very disordered and dusty room, in which the phoenix could feel traces of magical transformations. It was what the locals called the Shrieking Shack. The spy was there with his so-called master, and Fawkes sensed that something was disturbing both men. The man he was monitoring was feeling more than stressed, and seemed very anxious to be away from the snake-like monster, and especially the reach of his hideous pet.

The snake-man was speaking in a very quiet, cold and calculated voice, while examining his wand and rolling it between his clawed fingers.

"All this long night when I am on the brink of victory, I have sat here, wondering… Wondering why the Elder Wand refuses to be what it ought to be, it refuses to perform as legend says it must perform for its rightful owner...and I think I have the answer."

The spy tensed, and Fawkes felt a tug inside of him. He was once again compelled to act in favor of the man he was watching, but he also sensed now was not the time. He knew that if he tried to move, his body wouldn't react to his mind's command.

"Perhaps you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Severus. You have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen."

"My Lord…"

"The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true master," he interrupted. "The Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last owner. You killed Albus Dumbledore. While you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot truly be mine."

"My Lord!" The spy protested, raising his wand, determined to stay alive until his goal was accomplished.

"It cannot be any other way," Voldemort insisted. "I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last."

Fear flooding through the spy and the phoenix, the former didn't have enough time to shield himself when Voldemort swiped the air with the Elder Wand and encased his servant in the cage protecting his snake pet. Regardless of whether the spy had raised his wand, in the end it happened all too quick, and he could not get away from the snake.

The phoenix, still stuck on his perch for a reason he could not grasp, could do nothing as he heard Voldemort give his orders to his pet. Heart throbbing with his yearning to fly for help, the fiery bird looked on as the man's face lost the little color it had left; it whitened as his black eyes widened. A scream tore from his throat as the snake's fangs pierced his neck and he failed to push the enchanted cage off himself. His knees gave way and he fell to the floor.

Fawkes, desperate to try and save the man, tried to ignite himself and go to the spy's side, but his magic wouldn't react to anything he tried. His magic seemed to know the time was not right, and was asking him to wait. Wait for Voldemort to depart, wait for something else he couldn't understand yet.

"I regret it." said the evil wizard, yet as he started to turn away;

There was no sadness in him, no remorse for the deed just executed. It was time to leave this shack. Time to take charge, with a wand that he believed would now do his full bidding. He pointed it at the starry cage holding the snake, and it drifted upward off the dying spy.

The spy fell sideways onto the floor, blood gushing from the wounds in his neck, his dark eyes watching as his so-called master swept from the room without a backward glance, and the great serpent floated after him still safe in its huge protective sphere.

Still unable to budge a muscle to help the man, Fawkes started singing quietly to himself, hoping for someone to help the man, he didn't care who, as long as something was done.

The bird's prayer was answered, as the marked boy stumbled into the room, followed by his two best friends. The boy approached the man quietly, cautiously, and it took some time for the spy to realize someone was there. Then, the pitch black eyes rose to the bright green ones and widened in disbelief and desperation.

The boy bent over him, the spy seized the front of his robes and pulled him close. A terrible rasping, gurgling noise came from the spy's throat and he managed to utter two small words:

"Take… it… Take it…"

Something more than blood leaked from the man. A silvery-blue substance, neither gas nor liquid and it gushed from his mouth, his ears and his eyes… Memories.

The boy looked desperately around, hoping for something to collect them, not even understanding why he was doing it. His friend, the girl, handed him a flask she had conjured from thin air, and the boy shakily lifted the silvery substance into it with his wand.

The spy's hand loosened its grip and fell softly at his side. Fawkes was confused, sensing the man's hope, and bizarre tranquility. He'd done what he had to do, now if he could just rest…

The phoenix tried once again to go to the man's side, but he found that not only couldn't he do it, but that he shouldn't for the moment, as the three young adults – they could no longer be referred to as children – were still there. The two boys were heading back towards the exit, but as the man started coughing and twitching, Fawkes saw the girl, rooted to the spot near the man, eyes riveted to his.

The bird's gut began twisting and turning and he could almost feel the snake's venom taking its toll on the man. The spy's breathing became more ragged, as his reality started to fade away, and the life began to drain from his eyes. His vocal chords were already too damaged for him to utter real sounds, but the pain drove him to scream nevertheless, emitting frightening sucking and gurgling noises. Fawkes could see the hallucinations the man was experiencing, and knew that he was probably no longer aware of the young girl still staring at him.

The phoenix was aching to go by the man's side, but he no longer needed to try and go, as he knew he would sense when the time was correct. So he watched as the girl looked over to her friends calling to her. She literally fell to her knees, bringing her hands to cover the man's neck and trying to spell his wounds closed. The phoenix's heart clenched at the attempt, knowing full well it would be to no avail, especially when the convulsions the man was having made it difficult for the girl to keep hold of the wound without worsening it.

She removed her hands before the spy accidentally swatted them away, and fumbled furiously into her pockets. Hands trembling, the girl uncorked a vial, but the man, having sensed the presence of another being, first tried to move away from whoever his hallucinating mind thought was there.

He then desperately grabbed the girl's hand holding the vial, probably afraid of what it contained or what he thought she was holding. The haunted eyes then locked onto the frightened ones, and for the fraction of a second, the spy lost himself in the clear brown of her eyes as he fought to regain some consciousness.

As the man struggled to control himself enough to form the words, Fawkes sensed it would not take much longer for his loss of blood and the poison to take him.

"Go… with… him…" he managed to rasp out.

The girl looked transfixed and frightened at the same time, but the boys took this as a command and came back inside the room. It took the help of both of them for her to get back on her feet, and the three got out of the shack.

Closing his eyes, the phoenix could breathe again, relieved to feel his body ignite and join the agonized man. He landed carefully on the man's chest; he seemed to be delirious. Everything had taken its toll, the loss of blood, the effort to gush out those memories, and the venom, it had weakened him so much that he could no longer move a muscle. He just watched the fire on his chest as it formed into his true master's phoenix.

Fawkes bent his beak towards the now only dribbling wound, and finally let go of his tears, hoping to give the man enough time to survive. The phoenix knew he would exhaust himself bringing every ounce of his magic to fight against the dark magic seething through the man who had no will to fight anymore, but Fawkes knew he had to do it.

When the tissues had reformed back together, the phoenix laid his beak against the man's throat, listening to his hissing breathing, and sensing the damage still there inside of the spy. However, the phoenix had hope, so he sang on softly, waiting, and hoping.

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_Yuzu: There it is. Thank you very much for reading this chapter, it would mean a lot to me if you would just take a few more seconds to tell me what you have thought of it, and I promise I'll try to post another chapter before the end of the year if you do! ;)_

_Befor I forget, I have another disclaimer to make: The cover pic for my story is a drawing I found on Deviantart made by JulesDrenages. Check out his/her work, it is quite beautiful!_


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